Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors inspect and monitor plants, land and water for noxious plants and animal species, and organise for their control or eradication.

Also known as: Biosecurity Officer (Weeds and Pests).

You usually need a formal qualification in science, environmental science, sustainable agriculture and food security, agriculture or another related field to work as a Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspector. University and VET (Vocational Education and Training) are both common study pathways for Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors.

Tasks

Identifies pest and weed problems and determines treatment and management.

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Inspectors and Regulatory Officers

$1,424Weekly Pay

Weekly Pay

Earnings are median for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax, including amounts salary sacrificed. These figures are a guide only and should not be used to determine a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), Customised Report.

StableFuture Growth

Future Growth

The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business estimates the likely change in number of workers over the next 5 years. Future growth is the likely percentage change, compared to all other occupations. Possible ratings are

Very strong growth

Strong growth

Moderate growth

Stable

Decline

Lower unemploymentUnemployment

Unemployment

A lower unemployment rate shows people who work in this job are less likely to be out of work than people who work in other jobs.

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

1,100 workersEmployment Size

Employment Size

Employment size is the number of workers who do this as their main job.
Sources: ABS Labour Force Survey (custom trend) for 4-digit occupations (e.g., ANZSCO ID 1112) and 2016 Census for 6-digit occupations (e.g., ANZSCO ID 111211). As the figures come from different sources, the 6-digit figures may not sum to match the 4-digit totals.

Lower skillSkill level rating

Skill Levels

Skill level ratings are based on the range and complexity of job tasks. In general, the higher the skill level, the more formal education and training, previous experience or on-the-job training needed to be good at the job. Entry level jobs often need no prior training or experience. Possible ratings are

Very high skill – 5+ years training or experience, or a Bachelor Degree or higher

High skill – 3+ years training or experience, or an Associate Degree or Diploma

Medium skill – 3+ years training or experience, or a Certificate III/IV

Lower skill – 1+ year of experience, or a Certificate II/III

Entry level – High School or Certificate I

78% Full-Time
Full-Time Share

Full-Time Share

Full-time workers usually work 35 hours or more a week (in all their jobs combined).

41 hours
Average full-time

Average full-time hours

Average full-time hours is the actual hours worked in this job per week, by people who work full-time hours in all of their jobs combined.

46 yearsAverage age

Average age

This is the average age of all workers in this job. See the Prospects page for the full age profile.

34% femaleGender Share

The number of people working as Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors (in their main job) grew very strongly over 5 years:from 390 in 2011 to 1,100 in 2016.

Size: This is a very small occupation.

Location: Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors work in many parts of Australia. Queensland has a large share of workers.

Industries: Most work in Public Administration and Safety; Administrative and Support Services; and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing.

Full-time: Many work full-time (78%, higher than the average of 66%).

Hours: Full-time workers spend around 41 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).

Age: The average age is 46 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (53%).

Gender: 34% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).

Employment Outlook

Number of Workers

No data is available for the selected graph for this Occupation.

Weekly Earnings

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

No data is available for the selected graph for this Occupation.

Main Industries

Main Employing Industries (% Share)

Main Employing Industries

Industry (% share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).

Main Employing Industries

Industry (% share)

Public Administration and Safety

72.5

Administrative and Support Services

10.5

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

8.2

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

3.3

Other Industries

5.5

States and Territories

NSW

VIC

QLD

SA

WA

TAS

NT

ACT

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

State

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

All Jobs Average

NSW

33.0

31.6

VIC

15.1

25.6

QLD

30.4

20.0

SA

3.3

7.0

WA

10.2

10.8

TAS

3.3

2.0

NT

2.1

1.0

ACT

2.5

1.9

Age Profile

Age Profile (% Share)

Age Bracket

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Age Bracket

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

All Jobs Average

All Jobs Average

15-19

0.8

-5.0

5.0

20-24

2.3

-9.3

9.3

25-34

13.8

-22.9

22.9

35-44

29.8

-22.0

22.0

45-54

29.8

-21.6

21.6

55-59

12.1

-9.0

9.0

60-64

7.8

-6.0

6.0

65 and Over

3.7

-4.2

4.2

Education Level

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Type of Qualification

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Type of Qualification

Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors

All Jobs Average

All Jobs Average

Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate

10.1

-10.1

10.1

Bachelor degree

26.4

-21.8

21.8

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

17.7

-11.6

11.6

Certificate III/IV

22.8

-21.1

21.1

Year 12

11.8

-18.1

18.1

Year 11

3.3

-4.8

4.8

Year 10 and below

7.9

-12.5

12.5

You usually need a formal qualification in science, environmental science, sustainable agriculture and food security, agriculture or another related field to work as a Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspector. University and VET (Vocational Education and Training) are both common study pathways for Noxious Weeds and Pest Inspectors.

Checks, licences and tickets

You may need:

AQF3/4 chemical accreditation

dieback green card

forklift licence

manual drivers licence

national police check

Thinking about study or training?

Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need.

Search and compare thousands of higher education courses, and their entry requirements from different institutions across Australia at Course Seeker website.

Compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes on the QILT website.

Frequent decision making

Exposure to contaminants

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

Support

81% Important

Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

Independence

57% Important

Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

Working conditions

50% Important

Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

Relationships

48% Important

Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

Achievement

29% Important

Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Recognition

29% Important

Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

Practical

95% Important

Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

Administrative

52% Important

Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

Analytical

38% Important

Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

Enterprising

33% Important

Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

Creative

14% Important

Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.